Rudy and I have been married for 27 years. I’d say long years, because some felt that way, but mostly the years have zoomed along quite rapidly. Through our many ups, and our many many downs, we have managed to hold our relationship together for the simple reason we have chosen to. Most importantly, for us anyway, is that we really really like each other. So much so that when something negative intervenes into our life we, like many couples, drudge through the hard times, always smiling at each other when all is said and done. I really like you, I will tell Rudy. And I really like you, he will respond. Or vice versa. Maybe he says it first, and I am the one to reply. Either way, we know we are each others person, the one you can count on, for better or worse.

Back in the early days of our I Do’s, my nephew John once mentioned something about how Rudy’s last name Romero, and my maiden name Palmer, had the same meaning. I listened and understood what he was saying, and over the years had thought about the alignment of the universe in our world, but I never delved into what he told me. Not completely. During any kind of conversation, when people, mostly women, would speak about surnames, married names, maiden names, and any other kind of name, I would think about what John had told me, but never divulge the information. I held onto it, because, oh my goodness, what if I misinterpreted what he meant. That I was completely wrong. How embarrassing would that be? And every time I thought I should to simply search the information myself, to gather the truth fully within me I was always at the wrong place, at the wrong time. I never ever thought about it when I was working on a computer, or browsing through words in a dictionary. No, ironically, I would think about our surnames in the middle of a conversation with others, never in a place where the internet was running hot.

Never until a few days ago, in our 27th year of marriage; twenty seven and one half to be exact. I must have been thinking about Rudy and I, and our relationship, and how we always seem to forge ahead, maintaining what’s most important. Simply the fact we are together. That we are lucky enough to enjoy each others company. I am sure that was the moment I finally remembered to compare our surnames. I quickly turned on my phone, clicked on the blue Dictionary icon, and plugged in Palmer and Romero.

So, I finally confirmed that not only are Rudy and I meant to be together, but our names tell us so. And, well, it seems we’ve been on some type of religious, or better suited to us, a spiritual, journey – together.  Now, I can have an open conversation about our pilgrimage, a journey of our destiny. Yay!